The Weekly Update #4

Seniors and Families,

Students have been busy completing applications, setting up visits, and exploring options. Now, is the time to shift our primary post-secondary focus to scholarships and financial aid. In this edition, you will find information regarding the 25-26 FAFSA, scholarship highlights, and lots more resources.

Plan to attend the FAFSA Completion Event on 12/6 or reach out to INvestEd for additional assistance. Remember, all seniors need to complete the FAFSA. See details below on creating your account and FSA ID in advance.

Stop by the Counseling Department for any questions. We are happy to help!

Kelli Hoeflinger

School Counseling Director

Financial aid and scholarships contain many layers. The sticker price of a program or college is rarely the price a student pays. All families need to complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA when it opens in December to be determine eligibility for grants (free money) and loans. Many scholarships will also request information from the FAFSA.

Refer to the Post-Secondary Planning Presentation and Financial Aid Presentation for in-depth information on financial aid and scholarships.

INvestEd is a free, trusted financial aid resource to guide Indiana families.

• The Hauser Counseling Scholarship Listing (Not exhaustive list)

• Check college for any additional scholarship applications.

• Register with Scholarship Search Engines that will match students with scholarships, such as https://www.fastweb.com/ or https://www.investedindiana.org/preparing/finding-scholarships/

• Check with military benefits, employers, banks/credit unions, and other organizations to which members of your family belong.

• 21st Century Scholars (must have enrolled in 8th grade)
  

• Big Future Scholarships

• CHECK EMAIL! Scholarships are regularly emailed to the student's school email account.

• Create your own spreadsheet with name of scholarship, due date, and link. Sample

• Research scholarships (see resources above) and add them to the list if they are relevant to you.

• Read emails daily from Counseling and add scholarships to spreadsheet.

• Review Counseling Scholarship page and add to your list.

• Sort by due date.

• Check list weekly and mark as completed.

• Share the list with a parent/guardian. It will greatly reduce feeling nagged if they can see your organization and completion.

• It is common for students who win scholarships to apply for 40-70 scholarships, to win 3-5. Put in the work. Look at it like a senior year part-time job.

The Estes Foundation is now accepting scholarship applications! This scholarship is open to all seniors.

The Garry & Mary Lou Estes Foundation Mission:

To provide scholarship opportunities to help ease the burden of the cost associated with higher education, trade programs, job training, certifications, or job specific tools for individuals under the age of 27.

Scholarship Applicants must be:

• Indiana Residents

• 17-27 years of age

Preference will be given to, but are not limited to:

• Hauser Current/Past Grads

• Residents in Bartholomew County and or Hope, Indiana

• Students interested in Trade or Service Industries

• Students interested in Landscape/Horticulture Industry

• Donors’ family descendants

• Children of or employees/vendors of the business they founded

Scholarship Deadline:

April 15, 2025

Multiple scholarships will be offered annually. Individuals can re-apply yearly. Determining factors for allocation will be based on the number of applications in an enrollment period, funds we have available for distribution in that calendar year, and how closely a request fits with the foundation's mission defined by our generous donors. Amounts may vary from year to year.

To apply for the Estes Foundation Scholarships, please visit https://estesfoundation.org/scholarships%2Fgrants

Provides high-achieving high school and college students interested in pursuing a career in education the opportunity to earn a renewable scholarship of up to $10,000 each year for four academic years. In exchange, students agree to teach for five years at an eligible Indiana school or repay the corresponding, prorated amount of the scholarship.

• Must meet one of the three Academic Requirements:
• Rank in the top 20% of high school graduating class; or
• Have a top 20% ACT or SAT score; or
• Have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale;

Full Information and Application

Deadline: January 31, 2025

Combined Application Instructions

Deadline: Thursday, 4 p.m. Jan 30th for the Andy Critzer Memorial Scholarship & the Combined Scholarships

Information from Heritage Fund:

There is a new Heritage Fund application system. One big difference with the new system is the students do not have to read each scholarship and mark if they are eligible or not. After they complete the application and submit, they will receive a confirmation with the list of scholarships they are eligible for and the scholarships they need to provide additional information. It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that they answer all questions and eligibility statements correctly.

Secondly, after they submit their application, they will need to read the confirmation careful because there will be additional information they will need to complete based on the scholarships they are eligible for.

Finally, the combined application is for graduating seniors, undergraduate students, graduate students, and medical/dental students. In past years, the application was only for graduating seniors and undergraduate students.

Steps:

1. Complete the application and submit.

2. Then, you will receive a confirmation page that shows what the scholarships you are eligible for and the additional information you need to complete for some additional scholarships.

3. Or, you can go back to the dashboard and see what still needs to be completed.

4. The ones that still need to be completed with say “edit application” and show the due date to complete by.

Links:

Complete Scholarship Listing: heritagefundbc.org, which has a complete scholarship listing.

Application: https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=heritages

Students, read all instructions at the start of the application before beginning to apply. There are several scholarships under the combined general scholarship. Answer all questions and eligibility statements accurately. The answers will determine what scholarships they are eligible for.

The new FAFSA form replaced EFC (estimated family contribution) with SAI (Student Aid Index). Complete the SAI through https://mycollegecorner.com/calculator/financial-aid-calculator/.

Please contact Jeanette Marsh with any questions, jmarsh@heritagefundbc.org.

Since 2016, in cooperation with Purdue Extension Master Gardeners and Purdue Extension Bartholomew County, the South Central Master Gardener Association (SCIMGA) has been working in our communities to promote the art, science, and pleasure of horticulture. This year we are happy to announce our Scholarship program.

Our Scholarship program is for students seeking degree or certificate programs in horticulture and related disciplines.

• The application period is November 1, 2024 - April 30, 2025
• The maximum scholarship amount is $250
• Scholarships are not based on financial need
• The application is online (only)
• https://www.scimga.org/grants--scholarships.html

For more information on our scholarship program, please visit our website.

SCIMGA Give Committee

gives@scimga.org

• Students need to volunteer at DFS events!
• Application Information- Read first
• Application period is February 15, 2025 through March 31, 2025 (at MIDNIGHT)

• www.hauser.dollarsoforscholars.org- Click on STUDENTS and PARENTS

What: FAFSA Completion Day

When: December 6, 10 am- 1 pm

Where: Hauser Jr-Sr High School

Our FAFSA Completion Event is coming up in just a few weeks. Seniors and families are encouraged to attend for FREE help in completing this crucial financial aid form. Experts from INvestEd will help you file the FAFSA with confidence while avoiding common mistakes.

Important note: there is a delay from the time the FSA ID is created until the family is able to use it (possibly 1-4 days). Therefore, we strongly encourage students and parents create this account well ahead of the FAFSA workshop. If you need help, you can use INvestEd’s Creating your FSA ID worksheet or call their team at 317-715-9007.

INvestEd is an Indiana not-for-profit and has offered FREE help to families for over 40 years. For more information on INvestEd check out their website: https://www.investedindiana.org.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) will not be open for completion until approximately December 2024. All Indiana students are required to complete the FAFSA. Completing the FAFSA does NOT commit you to using financial aid or any future plan.

• At this point, students and parents/guardians can create their StudentAid.gov account and FSA ID.
• Your StudentAid.gov account lets you apply for federal student loans, grants, and work-study using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. You will also use your account to manage your aid in the future.

• Who needs a StudentAid.gov account?

  All students need a StudetAid.gov account. An account is required to complete any process or form on StudentAid.gov. Parents, you need to create an account too, regardless if you intend on assisting financially with your student's post-secondary education. If you’re not sure which parent needs an account, use the interactive Who’s My FAFSA Parent wizard to find out.

• Creating Your Studentaid.gov Account

• What is FAFSA? video

• Hauser will be hosting a FAFSA Completion Day on December 6th from 10 am- 1pm with INvestEd professionals assisting Hauser families submit their FAFSA. Families need to have their FSA ID created at least a week in advance.

Note: "During the 2023 legislative session, the Indiana General Assembly passed Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 167-2023 which requires high school seniors to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or affirmatively opt out of filing by April 15. Completing the FAFSA is an important step in a postsecondary education. Students pursuing short-term certificate training, associate/bachelor’s degrees and even some apprenticeships may receive financial aid by completing the FAFSA." Indiana Commission for Higher Education

1. Research list of 3-5 post-secondary options.

2. Submit applications.

• Where: The Common App , HBCU Common Application, institution websites

• Visit the college’s website and look for the “Apply Now” link, or on a “Future Student” or “Prospective Student” page of the website

3. Order transcript to be sent via www.parchment.com.

4. Send test scores via College Board or ACT, if required.

5. Double check all applications and Common App to confirm that it is submitted and all materials have been received.

Additional Information:

• Timeline: Late July-October 15th is a great goal. November 1st is a priority deadline for many colleges for merit-based aid. Every college has different deadlines. Check deadlines!

• Fees: Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch or who are 21st Century Scholars will receive a college application fee waiver. Some applications are always free and many are free during the month of September.

Order transcripts on www.parchment.com.

Having problems? First, attempt to reset your password. Students were advised to use a personal email address to set up the account. Still having problems? See Mrs. Tucker in the Counseling Department.

The process to apply for apprenticeship, technical, and other training programs vary widely. Many start with an appointment, tour, or interview and then move onto an application. Some start with an application with varying deadlines and then may lead to an assessment and interview. We highly recommend doing your research, reaching out for additional information, and doing site visits. There are great options out there and it is worth the time to research and visit them!

• https://www.inaflcio.org/apprenticeships-training

• https://www.ibew481.org/ and their Electrical Training Institute: https://www.eti-indy.org/HOME

• Top Notch website (https://www.topnotch.org/industry-links) with industry links for LOTS of other areas.

• Caterpillar Think Big Program: https://www.cat.com/en_US/support/maintenance/dealer-technician/thinkbig.html

• Lineman School

• Bricklayer Apprenticeship

• Land Surveying

• John Deere: https://about.deere.com/en-us/careers/dealership-careers

• On-Site Training Programs/Company Partnerships

• Examples: Columbus Regional Hospital Radiology, CRH lab, Cummins School to Work

• Next Level Jobs

• For Hoosiers, Next Level Jobs provides free state-wide training in high-paying, in-demand industries.

• Check out Atterbury Job Corps https://atterbury.jobcorps.gov/

Know of more opportunities? Let me know! khoeflinger@flatrock.k12.in.us

*Not exhaustive list.

Unsure what you'd like to do next? Need some help?

1. Complete several assessments. Nothing is perfect. Try to learn something new about yourself and careers each time. Expand your search to related careers of your initial list.

• My Next Move

• Holland Code Career Test

• It’s Your Yale Career Assessment Tools

• Ag Explorer

2. Research Indiana Hot In Demand Jobs.

3. Use a post-secondary visit day or vacation day to complete a job shadow.

The SAT and ACT are college entrance exams. Juniors and seniors may need to take the SAT and/or the ACT exams for college admissions and/or scholarship consideration. For best results it is recommended that students take the SAT and the ACT twice during their junior year and then once again during the fall of their senior year. Juniors should be signing up NOW. Students can test at any testing center.

Hauser school code: 151565. (Juniors will take the SAT one time at Hauser during SAT School Day testing window in the spring at no cost. Date TBA.)

Students can test at any location on any date.

*Fee waivers (2 per test) are available to juniors and seniors on free and reduced lunch and/or 21st Century Scholars.

2024-2025 Administration Dates and Deadlines:

SAT registration: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat

December 7 - Registration Deadline: November 22

March 8 - Registration Deadline: February 21

May 3 - Registration Deadline: April 18

June 7 - Registration Deadline: May 22

ACT registration: http://www.act.org/

December 14 - Registration Deadline: November 8

February 8 - Registration Deadline: January 3

April 5 - Registration Deadline: February 28

June 14 - Registration Deadline: May 9

July 12 - Registration Deadline: June 6

Check grades regularly on Skyward. If you have questions about graduation requirements, stop in to see Mrs. Hoeflinger in the Counseling Office.

Feeling a little lost or behind? Communicate with your teachers and attend Wednesday tutoring as needed. Khan Academy and AP Classroom are also great resources.

Senior year can be a stressful one. Are you looking to better understand how you are feeling? Or how to manage your emotions, reduce anxiety, feel differently,....? Each month we will share mental health resources for seniors to take the lead on improving their emotional well-being.

Mental Health Matters is a Bartholomew County-wide initiative "created to address challenges and improve the mental health system for the wellbeing of youth and adults in Bartholomew County." MHM recognizes national and local mental health crises and aims to support adults and youth in Bartholomew County. Their resource directory provides access to crucial, local resources.

Some highlights from MHM Credible Minds website:

• Check out the Learning Lab tab for practical guides and tools to improve your wellbeing.
• Assessment "What's Your Mental Health Profile?"
• Understanding Self-Care
• Exploring outlets to overcome anxiety
• Depression: Resources, help for parents, signs and symptoms, support, treatment
• Suicide: How to Help and Support a Friend
• The importance of friendship and social connections
• Stress: Explore ways to relieve stress and calm worries